Just back from 12 Day Jade - First time on NCL

[NewPennCruiser]

We just got back from our 12 day Jade Mediterranean cruise (3/27 - 4/8) and I wanted to jot some thoughts down. I love to read these boards and don’t add reviews often but thought this trip warranted some feedback based on some other comments I had previously been reading. I have never cruised NCL before and my significant other did only once a long time ago but we had been thinking about trying them out and this itinerary was perfect for what we were looking for. I usually cruise with Princess but I was not happy with their itineraries in Europe and we also didn’t want to do the cruise in summer when you might be 1 of 10 ships in port.

 

To sum it up, we had an amazing time and were extremely surprised at how much we enjoyed the ship. I really can’t say enough good things about the crew and how well we were treated by everyone on board. The atmosphere was comfortable, relaxed and unpretentious. The ship is still in excellent condition and easy to navigate while it’s size seems pretty perfect where it can afford tons of dining and entertainment options while keeping the passenger capacity well below the new megaships. Even on a crappy weather day when everyone was inside, it didn’t seem overly crowded to me. Yes, the Hawaiian motif is odd, but after a couple of days, I didn’t even really notice it much anymore. I could get nitpicky in a discussion of NCL vs Princess but I won’t. Each does some things better then the other and really I think they are more alike then they are different.

 

The itinerary was perfect with a good mix of sea days and port days. We really would never do a “10 ports in 10 days” cruise and it was part of why we picked this one. Like most everyone, Egypt was one of the places we were most looking forward to seeing but some things just aren’t in our control and you have to go with the flow. I heard many people on the ship still complaining that we didn’t go there and I thought; really folks, get over it. They would be the first ones to sue NCL if we had still gone and something happened.

 

It turns out we found Istanbul to be one of the most fascinating cities we have ever visited. All other ports were great as expected and we came away with a great appreciation for the diversity of Turkey, which really was a place we knew very little about. One word of warning for those of you cruising in April….The weather is still cool and rainy in Istanbul. It was a good 15 to 20 degrees colder there then any other part of the cruise and it rained steady for the first day we were there. Plan accordingly. We also had some rain in Athens but it wasn’t a washout.

 

Regarding food. If there is one thing that drives me crazy is reading reviews from people that say that they could not find anything good to eat for them on a cruise ship. I read them on the boards of just about every cruise line. I’m not sure what these folks expect, but I can honestly say the food was fantastic across the board. The buffet area is expansive and offers enough variety that you can try new things every day even though as a whole throughout the week it may not change much. The main dining room was very good and I have to disagree with many people who say they serve you crap here to force you to eat at the Specialty Dining Rooms. While we did try out some of the specialty locations we didn’t feel forced to do so to get good food. That said, the food in the Specialty locations was better and I can honestly say our dinner at Le Bistro was probably the best we have ever experienced on a cruise ship. There was a 2 for 1 cover charge special at most specialty restaurants for the 1st hour of dining every night of the cruise, so if you are an early diner, it’s basically half price to eat at those restaurants. Cagneys and Teppanyaki were excluded from this offer. Also, there were drink specials throughout the cruise at various locations. Some highlights for us included the beer lunch at the Great Outdoors on the first sea day with German sausage, German beer and Jade’s own “oompah band”. Lots of fun with good music, good food and good beer. Also, I really feel the pretzel rolls should be named a new official food group. I’ll really miss those now that I’m back home.

 

Also something to make note of, when eating in the Buffet for lunch or breakfast; if you want to sit in a quieter area, take your food over to Papa’s Italian and sit there. It’s open for buffet seating at those times and it seemed like people still didn’t realize it toward the end of the cruise.

 

Entertainment that we saw was very good. We did not go to any of the production shows but the music throughout the ship was excellent. The CC meet and greet was also held the first sea day of the cruise and they provided refreshments and it was attended by the Cruise Director (Karen), the Captain, the head of food services and a couple of other mgmt. types. It was a nice touch that they attended to chat for a while. We didn’t partake of any spa related activities but people we met on the ship who did said it was very nice and the other general activities occurring around the ship were your normal ship activities that you see across most lines.

 

Internet service was respectable for a ship. I took a laptop and was able to use it with wireless everywhere. I didn’t notice this at first but if you purchase an internet package the first day or two of the cruise, they will give you extra minutes. I purchased the 250 minute package and got 20 minutes added to it. If you need a computer to stay in touch at home, they have a small internet café, but it never seemed over crowded.

 

Passenger demographics was very mixed and a nice group to sail with. I would say it was mainly American, but there were enough Spaniards and Germans on board to warrant announcements being made in English, German and Spanish. They also offered German and Spanish speaking tours. I was told that if there is a large contingent like that from any foreign country, they will offer announcements and tours in those various languages, so that could change from cruise to cruise. There were not many kids (as expected) but the age curve was much lower then what we usually experience on our Princess cruises.

 

Oh well, I’ll stop rambling now. I really loved the cruise and while it’s nice to be home, I certainly wouldn’t pass up the chance to be sitting on our balcony watching the world go by just a little longer. For those of you heading out in the next few weeks, have a great time. I think there are just 1 or 2 more sailings of this itinerary before the ship repositions to Venice. If you have any questions, let me know and I’ll do my best to answer them.

 

Dave

[phillygirl63]

I'm glad you enjoyed your cruise. Istanbul is one of my DH's favorite places. He has to travel there often on business and always comes back with wonderful things to say. I know not going to Egypt was a little bit of a let down, but Kudos to NCL for picking Istanbul as the alternative stop. We were on the Jade last July, and like you, I read so many reviews where people did nothing but complaint about every little thing. To be honest, I was beginning to doubt whether I made the right choice of ship to do the Western Med, but after actually going on the cruise, I was really glad I stuck with my decision. Yes, the reminders that the ship used to be in Hawaii was a little surprising at first, but you quickly look past all that. Really, what are you on the ship for anyway -- to have a great time, make new friends, and party hardy. Everyone makes their own experience -- good or bad. I'm glad yours was good.

 

We are going on the Pride of America in 3 weeks, and I have been reading all the reviews for about 4 months now. I'm now a lot more experienced at reading between the lines.

 

Take care!

[Journey11]

Thanks for a great review. Glad you had a such a good time on your first NCL cruise.

[Carnac767]

Thanks for the very fair and thoughtful review. I'm glad you had a great cruise. It just goes to show that you can have a great time on a cruise, no matter what line you use. Istanbul is a terrific place to visit, and while it's hard to match the Pyramids, it's about as good a substitute one could find. We loved the Jade and would sail on her again in a heartbeat. Thanks again for taking the time to post your thoughts.

[scgirlatheart]

Thanks for your review. It was well written and enjoyable. We'll be on the Jade in May 2012 and it will also be our first cruise with NCL so I'm reading everything I can about it.

[NewPennCruiser]

Thanks for the very fair and thoughtful review. I'm glad you had a great cruise. It just goes to show that you can have a great time on a cruise, no matter what line you use. Istanbul is a terrific place to visit, and while it's hard to match the Pyramids, it's about as good a substitute one could find. We loved the Jade and would sail on her again in a heartbeat. Thanks again for taking the time to post your thoughts.

 

We plan on returning as well and purchased a future cruise deposit (or whatever they call it) and started talking about returning for their Greek Island itinerary or something else in the area. It appears these 12 day itineraries change to 10 day trips when the Jade home ports out of Rome in 2012 instead of Barcelona. Maybe the cruise lines will return to Egypt by then.... We'll see.

[Carnac767]

I think they'll be back pretty soon. Egypt desperately depends on the tourist dollar and will do everything possible to get the cruise ships back.

[Carnac767]

Forgot to ask you this: do you recall if Armando da Silva was the Hotel Director? He was when we cruised two years ago on Jade, and we really enjoyed getting to know him. He does a terrific job.

[Teechur]

Excellent review Dave!

We are departing on the same itinerary/ ship April 17th, and I just posted a link to your review on our thread. Really appreciate all the good tips, especially about the 2 for 1 at Le Bistro, etc. Can't wait, but yeah, we are a little disappointed about Egypt. It's not going to stop us from having a great time, though!

Thanks again!

Alex

 

BTW, was there a "best of" luncheon, featuring food from all of the extra charge restaurants? I read about this on CC, but don't know if it happens on the Jade.

[NewPennCruiser]

Excellent review Dave!

We are departing on the same itinerary/ ship April 17th, and I just posted a link to your review on our thread. Really appreciate all the good tips, especially about the 2 for 1 at Le Bistro, etc. Can't wait, but yeah, we are a little disappointed about Egypt. It's not going to stop us from having a great time, though!

Thanks again!

Alex

 

BTW, was there a "best of" luncheon, featuring food from all of the extra charge restaurants? I read about this on CC, but don't know if it happens on the Jade.

 

I don't recall the "best of" luncheon. They did the German food/beer luncheon in the Great Outdoors on an early sea day (free except for the beer) and offered a Jazz Brunch in Le Bistro on one of the sea days late in the cruise ($15) but I don't remember other special luncheons. I did want to add a comment about the specialty restaurants though... Teppanyaki was VERY popular and it booked up frequently. The other restaurants were usually available whenever, if you wanted to make last minute dining plans. The only exception was the last couple of nights of the cruise when they were very busy, especially Cagneys.

[NewPennCruiser]

Forgot to ask you this: do you recall if Armando da Silva was the Hotel Director? He was when we cruised two years ago on Jade, and we really enjoyed getting to know him. He does a terrific job.

 

I'm terrible with names and I don't have anything on paper showing the officer's names, etc. However I'm pretty sure he was still the Hotel Director. He was at the CC meet and greet and we saw him numerous times around the ship. Very jovial and a genuinely nice person. If it wasn't him, I suspect NCL found a way to clone him. He was very visible and always talking to somebody.

[sk84fungirl]

Excellent review Dave!

We are departing on the same itinerary/ ship April 17th, and I just posted a link to your review on our thread. Really appreciate all the good tips, especially about the 2 for 1 at Le Bistro, etc. Can't wait, but yeah, we are a little disappointed about Egypt. It's not going to stop us from having a great time, though!

Thanks again!

Alex

 

BTW, was there a "best of" luncheon, featuring food from all of the extra charge restaurants? I read about this on CC, but don't know if it happens on the Jade.

 

 

Thanks for the great review. 2 more days of work and head to Barcelona Thursday.

[Fawn524]

We're taking our first NCL cruise on the Jade this May. Thanks for the great review...can't wait to try those pretzel rolls!

[mikewrit]

Dandy review, altogether matching our experience on the Jade Istanbul to Barcelona. We booked her again for just after Thanksgiving in large part owing to great memories but also for a chance to visit Israel and Egypt. We're really hoping she starts going back to Said and Alexandria this summer, but we'll stay booked even if the Isanbul option is still in force.

[eliza261]

Thanks for the review.. We are going on the Jade in October for our honeymoon... on the eastern med cruise.. good to know that istambul was good. Im sure by late october it will be all good in Egypt...

[cruisin-wannabe]

We were just on this cruise also! We received an upsell offer to the Garden Villa one week before leaving, and we had the BEST vacation ever! It was a wonderful trip, fantastic people (and yes, Armando is still the Hotel Director). We took my daughter and her husband, and also my son along, so the three bedroom Villa was a perfect place for us. Cagney's for breakfast and lunch was a great perk, and we had breakfast in our room on days when we had early shore excursions. The courtyard area was nice, but we didn't spend much time there--there were unattended kids there the few times we went in. Sad to see, I wouldn't leave my little ones anywhere unattended in this day and age...

Anyway, FANTASTIC trip! We will never go back to the non-suite life--being spoiled like that was the vacation of my dreams!

[cruisin-wannabe]

We were just on this cruise also! We received an upsell offer to the Garden Villa one week before leaving, and we had the BEST vacation ever! It was a wonderful trip, fantastic people (and yes, Armando is still the Hotel Director). We took my daughter and her husband, and also my son along, so the three bedroom Villa was a perfect place for us. Cagney's for breakfast and lunch was a great perk, and we had breakfast in our room on days when we had early shore excursions. The courtyard area was nice, but we didn't spend much time there--there were unattended kids the few times we went in. Sad to see, I wouldn't leave my little ones anywhere unattended in this day and age...

Anyway, FANTASTIC trip! We will never go back to the non-suite life--being spoiled like that was the vacation of my dreams!

[NewPennCruiser]

The courtyard area was nice, but we didn't spend much time there--there were unattended kids the few times we went in. Sad to see, I wouldn't leave my little ones anywhere unattended in this day and age...

Anyway, FANTASTIC trip! We will never go back to the non-suite life--being spoiled like that was the vacation of my dreams!

 

Oh that's funny... about half way through the cruise we wondered what they were doing with all the kids and now we know they were corralling them in the Courtyard!!!! I really didn't notice the kids much until later in the cruise on sea days when the weather was warmer and they were using the pool and water slide.

 

We also heard great comments about the suites and we have talked about maybe trying one in the future. The problem is we spoil easy and we tend to fall into the category of people who prefer to stay in cheaper rooms so we can cruise more often. (I would sleep in a broom closet if that got me on the ship :) ) That would probably change our approach and I'm not sure if I can afford that!!!

[Marinton]

Hi Dave, I have just read your thread about your cruise on the Jade. It gave me plenty of warm feelings about my upcoming trip on the Jade from April 29th at Barcellona ending at Venice on May 14th. This time round we are doing it on our own as opposed to joining a group as we usually do.

I have been investigating and noting various tips regarding shore excursions at every port. Do you know how we can join a small group with the same idea in mind. It seems to me that hiring a minivan would be more sociable, enjoyable, safer and economical !.

 

[NewPennCruiser]

Hi Dave, I have just read your thread about your cruise on the Jade. It gave me plenty of warm feelings about my upcoming trip on the Jade from April 29th at Barcellona ending at Venice on May 14th. This time round we are doing it on our own as opposed to joining a group as we usually do.

I have been investigating and noting various tips regarding shore excursions at every port. Do you know how we can join a small group with the same idea in mind. It seems to me that hiring a minivan would be more sociable, enjoyable, safer and economic.

 

Check out the NCL roll calls for the Jade and I'm certain there is an active thread for your cruise. You'll find like minded folks organizing small tours, etc and I'm sure they'll be more then happy to have you join there discussions. There will also more then likely be a meet and greet early in the cruise so you get a chance to say hi to folks and you can often join some small tour groups then. In any case, you'll meet a lot of folks trying to do exactly what you are doing. Enjoy your cruise!

[xo-cruzar]

We just got back from our 12 day Jade Mediterranean cruise (3/27 - 4/8) and I wanted to jot some thoughts down. I love to read these boards and don’t add reviews often but thought this trip warranted some feedback based on some other comments I had previously been reading. I have never cruised NCL before and my significant other did only once a long time ago but we had been thinking about trying them out and this itinerary was perfect for what we were looking for. I usually cruise with Princess but I was not happy with their itineraries in Europe and we also didn’t want to do the cruise in summer when you might be 1 of 10 ships in port.

 

To sum it up, we had an amazing time and were extremely surprised at how much we enjoyed the ship. I really can’t say enough good things about the crew and how well we were treated by everyone on board. The atmosphere was comfortable, relaxed and unpretentious. The ship is still in excellent condition and easy to navigate while it’s size seems pretty perfect where it can afford tons of dining and entertainment options while keeping the passenger capacity well below the new megaships. Even on a crappy weather day when everyone was inside, it didn’t seem overly crowded to me. Yes, the Hawaiian motif is odd, but after a couple of days, I didn’t even really notice it much anymore. I could get nitpicky in a discussion of NCL vs Princess but I won’t. Each does some things better then the other and really I think they are more alike then they are different.

 

The itinerary was perfect with a good mix of sea days and port days. We really would never do a “10 ports in 10 days” cruise and it was part of why we picked this one. Like most everyone, Egypt was one of the places we were most looking forward to seeing but some things just aren’t in our control and you have to go with the flow. I heard many people on the ship still complaining that we didn’t go there and I thought; really folks, get over it. They would be the first ones to sue NCL if we had still gone and something happened.

 

It turns out we found Istanbul to be one of the most fascinating cities we have ever visited. All other ports were great as expected and we came away with a great appreciation for the diversity of Turkey, which really was a place we knew very little about. One word of warning for those of you cruising in April….The weather is still cool and rainy in Istanbul. It was a good 15 to 20 degrees colder there then any other part of the cruise and it rained steady for the first day we were there. Plan accordingly. We also had some rain in Athens but it wasn’t a washout.

 

Regarding food. If there is one thing that drives me crazy is reading reviews from people that say that they could not find anything good to eat for them on a cruise ship. I read them on the boards of just about every cruise line. I’m not sure what these folks expect, but I can honestly say the food was fantastic across the board. The buffet area is expansive and offers enough variety that you can try new things every day even though as a whole throughout the week it may not change much. The main dining room was very good and I have to disagree with many people who say they serve you crap here to force you to eat at the Specialty Dining Rooms. While we did try out some of the specialty locations we didn’t feel forced to do so to get good food. That said, the food in the Specialty locations was better and I can honestly say our dinner at Le Bistro was probably the best we have ever experienced on a cruise ship. There was a 2 for 1 cover charge special at most specialty restaurants for the 1st hour of dining every night of the cruise, so if you are an early diner, it’s basically half price to eat at those restaurants. Cagneys and Teppanyaki were excluded from this offer. Also, there were drink specials throughout the cruise at various locations. Some highlights for us included the beer lunch at the Great Outdoors on the first sea day with German sausage, German beer and Jade’s own “oompah band”. Lots of fun with good music, good food and good beer. Also, I really feel the pretzel rolls should be named a new official food group. I’ll really miss those now that I’m back home.

 

Also something to make note of, when eating in the Buffet for lunch or breakfast; if you want to sit in a quieter area, take your food over to Papa’s Italian and sit there. It’s open for buffet seating at those times and it seemed like people still didn’t realize it toward the end of the cruise.

 

Entertainment that we saw was very good. We did not go to any of the production shows but the music throughout the ship was excellent. The CC meet and greet was also held the first sea day of the cruise and they provided refreshments and it was attended by the Cruise Director (Karen), the Captain, the head of food services and a couple of other mgmt. types. It was a nice touch that they attended to chat for a while. We didn’t partake of any spa related activities but people we met on the ship who did said it was very nice and the other general activities occurring around the ship were your normal ship activities that you see across most lines.

 

Internet service was respectable for a ship. I took a laptop and was able to use it with wireless everywhere. I didn’t notice this at first but if you purchase an internet package the first day or two of the cruise, they will give you extra minutes. I purchased the 250 minute package and got 20 minutes added to it. If you need a computer to stay in touch at home, they have a small internet café, but it never seemed over crowded.

 

Passenger demographics was very mixed and a nice group to sail with. I would say it was mainly American, but there were enough Spaniards and Germans on board to warrant announcements being made in English, German and Spanish. They also offered German and Spanish speaking tours. I was told that if there is a large contingent like that from any foreign country, they will offer announcements and tours in those various languages, so that could change from cruise to cruise. There were not many kids (as expected) but the age curve was much lower then what we usually experience on our Princess cruises.

 

Oh well, I’ll stop rambling now. I really loved the cruise and while it’s nice to be home, I certainly wouldn’t pass up the chance to be sitting on our balcony watching the world go by just a little longer. For those of you heading out in the next few weeks, have a great time. I think there are just 1 or 2 more sailings of this itinerary before the ship repositions to Venice. If you have any questions, let me know and I’ll do my best to answer them.

 

Dave

Thanks for writing this review. I was also onboard the Jade in Feb/11. Like you, it was also my first cruise onboard a NCL vessel. Please feel free to read the review that I had written. I was compelled to write a review because I felt that the Jade and its crew deserved such recognition.

Cheers for more cruise travels to come!

[NewPennCruiser]

Thanks for writing this review. I was also onboard the Jade in Feb/11. Like you, it was also my first cruise onboard a NCL vessel. Please feel free to read the review that I had written. I was compelled to write a review because I felt that the Jade and its crew deserved such recognition.

Cheers for more cruise travels to come!

 

I did read your review and I wanted to tell you that you provided an excellent tip that we followed throughout the cruise. That tip had to do with eating in the dining rooms for breakfast and lunch more then at the buffet to help avoid over eating. It worked! We certainly ate well, but it helped cut back on the return trips to the buffet that inevitably end up happening when you dine there. Thanks for the tip. We actually ended up really enjoying breakfast at Blue Lagoon. I don't think anyone really thought of eating breakfast there because it was never over crowded and generally a relaxing place to start the day. Unlike the occasional "mob" atmosphere of the buffet.

[polySeraph]

Hi Dave, I have just read your thread about your cruise on the Jade. It gave me plenty of warm feelings about my upcoming trip on the Jade from April 29th at Barcellona ending at Venice on May 14th. This time round we are doing it on our own as opposed to joining a group as we usually do.

I have been investigating and noting various tips regarding shore excursions at every port. Do you know how we can join a small group with the same idea in mind. It seems to me that hiring a minivan would be more sociable, enjoyable, safer and economical !.

 

Hello Marinton, Dave is right. . . we DO have an active roll call for the April 29th sailing. So far we have 125 signed up for the Meet & Greet and we'd love to have you join us, too! Click here to go to the most recent page of our roll call thread (make sure you're signed in first) to learn more about what we've got planned for the April 29th sailing. Hope to see you on board soon!

[polySeraph]

. . . To sum it up, we had an amazing time and were extremely surprised at how much we enjoyed the ship. I really can’t say enough good things about the crew and how well we were treated by everyone on board. The atmosphere was comfortable, relaxed and unpretentious. The ship is still in excellent condition and easy to navigate while it’s size seems pretty perfect where it can afford tons of dining and entertainment options while keeping the passenger capacity well below the new megaships. Even on a crappy weather day when everyone was inside, it didn’t seem overly crowded to me. Yes, the Hawaiian motif is odd, but after a couple of days, I didn’t even really notice it much anymore. . .

 

Hi Dave, It's great to get the good word on the Jade. Our very first cruise was on the Jade up the coast of Norway and like you said, we also found it "comfortable, relaxed, and unpretentious". We never stopped noticing the Hawaiian decor - particularly those wonderful flowers on the ceiling. At first we found it a little odd (outside the ship: spectacular fjords, inside the ship: Hawaii), but after awhile, it became charming to us. Now I find that I'm a little "homesick" and I'm really looking forward to being back aboard.

 

Great review! Thanks!

[Marinton]

Thank you for your tip. I shall do just as you suggested and see how it goes. Much appreciated.:p